Grunt in a Million
by ChaoticTrainer
Summary: Joining Team Rocket always seemed like a piece of cake. If his father and brother could do it, why couldn't he? But what happens when he battles someone strong enough to catch his interest? If he could change his ways for her... Could she ever see him as more than one grunt in a million? / Follows HeartGold Gameverse / Team Rocket Grunt x Lyra /
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer **

I do not, and will not ever, own Pokemon

**Title**

Grunt in a million

**Summary**

Joining Team Rocket always seemed like a piece of cake. If his father and brother could do it, why couldn't he?  
But what happens when he battles someone strong enough to catch his interest?  
If he could change his ways for her... Could she ever see him as more than one grunt in a million?

**Author's Note; ****_Hi there, readers! So this is going to be a different type of Lyra shipping- I've seen a lot of fanart with Lyra and a Team Rocket grunt but I've never seen any sort of fanfiction written about them so given the fact I have nothing else to do in my life (_****_Well obviously homework, but like I would do that pft_****_) I decided that it would be fun to write one instead! So here you go, a Team Rocket Grunt x Lyra fanfication! The basic plot will follow along the HeartGold game verse, with a few changes here and there- Well, obviously changes or else you could just go out and play the game. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! _**

**Chapter One;**

When they said he was going to be assigned to his _first_ mission- Well, he wasn't expecting this. He was expecting anything _other _than this, actually. Maybe it was because he wasn't the strongest (No denying that) but hey, he had talent, or at least his mom told him he did, and mothers were obligated to tell their children that! His Rattata wasn't _that _weak and his Zubat could surely beat out any of the other grunt's! But what was the point? They'd have another mountain of purple rodent Pokemon waiting along after the first one fainted. He didn't know _what _it was with Team Rocket and the essential need to use the same Pokemon everyone else did- His father had a Ratttata and so did his elder brother- But they did. And being the odd one out with a diverse team of tools, especially as one of the newer recruits, clearly wasn't the best choice.

But even _with _his team of ordinary Pokemon- They could have picked something a lot more exciting for him to do! Because hanging out in some well wasn't something to be boastful about, especially when it was your first mission. However, on the topic of whether this was an interesting mission or not- His opinions definitely varied away from what the other grunt had said.

One of the girls- Lissa, if he had remembered her name correctly but really, no one used names to address another. Everyone was just a grunt, aside from the Executives, of course. They had earned their right to a proper name and didn't look like they would appreciate being called 'Executive one, two, three..'. Anyway- One of the girls had been gushing on and on about how she just _loved _this job-

"I think its fun!" Her high-pitched voice echoed through the cave and for a moment, he worried one of the stalactites would give way and fall to the ground and Arceus- He truly felt bad for thinking this- if it got her to shut up, he wouldn't mind the large piece of rock giving her a good knock on the head. "I mean- These Pokemon are _totally _gross and creepy to look at- But at least we'd get to be near Proton!"

A dreamy glint took over her violet eyes, scissors stopping mid-air. Proton. He'd heard the name before and he already knew that it had been one of the Executives- But an image of his face couldn't seem to materialise itself in his mind. Well- Not a clear one anyway. The violet haired simply raised an eyebrow, wondering what had gotten into her. Huh. Even if he couldn't picture his appearance, there was no doubt in mind that he was definitely a well-_groomed _man. Whatever. He had no time to fantasise about his boss nor did he have time to listen to his annoying co-worker gush on and on about how great he was. Oh, the humiliation she would have to face if he had decided to walk in _right _there.

He snickered to himself at the thought. The girl's reddening face showing signs of shock and complete and utter embarrassment. Obviously, she had noticed the fact that he too, had stopped himself from cutting the long and rather slippery pink tail of the mooney-eyed Pokemon. And that got her curious;

"And what do you think _you're _laughing at, newbie?"

She hadn't even been here that long, at least a month or two longer than he had, for sure, what had given some fangirl the right to call him a _newbie? _A look of offense passed across his youthful features, eyebrows furrowed with lips twitching into a frown and it portrayed anything other than an intimidating gaze. In fact- It was rather comical.

"_Excuse you- _Its kinda hard _not _to laugh when you're just sitting there, going on and on and on about some guy whose probably never even going to take the _time _to acknowledge you. _That's _what's funny."

It sounded a lot harsher than he had originally meant it to be but hey- She was getting on his nerves and that comment about being a "newbie" had certainly dampened his mood. Not like it hadn't already been soaking wet because of the stupid Slowpoke and its wet body- Disgusting to touch and the tail, which wriggled around on the floor for a few minutes before remaining completely still, was even _worst _if possible. But the only thing that had brought a triumphant smirk onto his lips, was the fact that his _"partner" _looked like she was about to pull out her own Rattata. But that would be stupid considering they were supposed to be on guard- What if something were to happen! It would be _her _fault. Although, maybe the boss would come in and finally recognise her.

And right as she was going to give him a firm tongue lashing- A cry was heard from the entrance of the well and he couldn't help but smirk at her "Maybe someone was thinking about your boyfriend too." Of course, that had earned him a glare that could probably scare away an Arcanine- Or maybe just a Bellsprout if she was lucky. The shrill shriek had been followed by a the thump of what sounded like a heavy sack of berries falling onto the ground. That had perked his curiosities. And just as he was making his way to investigate (But it was probably nothing- Maybe some Geodude harassing one of the grunts again), a tall man, almost as tall as he had been, ran in and honestly, by the sound of the yell, he was surprised that it had been a guy at all- Running in and panting, beads of sweat dripped down his face and a glance was cautiously thrown back to over his shoulder.

"Dear _Arceus- _That old man's got a pair! Chased me all the way down here and scared the living Zubats out of m- Hey, quit laughing!"

Alright, so maybe this wasn't the best time to start laughing, considering that now some crazy old guy was probably coming down- But both grunts couldn't help but start to snicker, much to their co-worker's dismay and it was clear as daylight on his face. A huff was the only sound he had made before he pointed a finger at him, right between the eyes "You! Make sure to watch the Slowpoke-" A low purr was heard from the pink beast "-And make sure they don't get away- Who am I kidding? They wouldn't get far if they tried! Just- Make sure you're here, I suspect that old guy didn't come alone and what this mission _really _needed was some dumb trainer to come in and ruin it all- Stay at your post and defend it with your li- Well, not your life.. But obviously your Pokemon!"

Least to say that the man was beyond confusing, speaking way too quickly for him to understand but before he could ask for a replay, the taller grunt had ran away. Damn, he was a fast runner. He shook his head, turning to face his female partner who looked like she was dying for a battle-

"You know- If we _do _get someone trying to interfere, this might be my only chance to show off in front of Team Rocket Executive Proton!"

The name was a mouthful and she really had no reason to say it. But she did and the look of determination shining in her eyes was enough to get him to back off this once. Rolling his eyes, his attention had quickly been pulled to the sounds of Pokemon shouting, lights flaring along the damp cave walls and the familiar voice expressing his irritation- "What the.. You should probably go to that spot over there. Just in case they- You know- B_eat me _but I doubt that would happen with my Ekans on my side!" Her voice had come from his side and honestly, he hoped that whatever it was wouldn't get past her. Arceus knows that he wasn't expecting a fight on his first day- But he would be ready!

Sending over a curt nod, he ran over to a spot behind the wall, back pressed against the cool hard rock as he waited, hoping that she had somehow managed to fight back- Of course, he was wrong, after hearing the pained sounds of her Ekans hiss and the frustrated scream leave her lips. '_Oh no,, now its my turn, isn't it?' _He thought in a panic, heart beating like some nut-job was whacking randomly at a drum. But he couldn't show weakness. No, he wasn't weak and showing any form of fear wasn't going to get him a victory. He _was _strong and he was going to prove it to whoever this _minor inconvenience _was!

Hearing the sound of splattering footsteps come nearer and nearer and his heart was pounding with anticipation and excitement. As soon as it had felt whoever it was was close enough, he jumped out from behind his hiding place, arrogant smirk kissing at his lips. He hoped he looked a lot more intimidating than he felt but his look of "menace" on his features fell as soon as he saw who his.. Opponent.. Was.

It was a little girl. Well- Not little, she looked to be about two or three years younger than him. Fourteen maybe? She was definitely a head shorter than him. Well it didn't matter. Her chocolate pig tails stuck out from the sides of her large, Poffin-like hat, a red ribbon clinging onto its side. She wore dark blue overalls under a long-sleeved red shirt and knee-high socks. Someone had certainly gone a length to make sure they looked like a Berry planter. To her right, was a Pokemon, its long blue body sprouting out fire from on top of its head and its behind as it wore a look of determination to match its owner's. The look of annoyance that grew on her face certainly didn't match her rather.. Adorable ensemble- She looked like a Teddiursa trying to be ferocious. He couldn't help but snicker.

"I don't think there are any Miltank for you to milk in here- If you leave now, you could make it back to your farm before sundown." Oh this was going to be easier than sitting down on a chair after a long day's work. He threw his pokeball, up and down waiting for her to respond and almost relaxed about the whole situation. This battle would be over before it even begun.

His comment only received a look of stronger irritation followed by a small tinge of pink grazing her cheek. But obviously, she had decided to ignore his words. Although, her voice portrayed far less courage than her looks did, as it cracked in the middle of her sentence "Q-Quit taking Slowpoketails! Its cruel and you're hurting them!" Wow. Was he supposed to tremble in place at her _mighty _words? Stop everything he was doing just to listen to some bratty teenager? No thank you.

"Quit taking Slowpoketails? If we listened to you, Team Rocket's rep would be ruined!" The reputation they had worked _so _hard to built wasn't going to be destroyed just because some silly girl told him to stop doing something. Obviously, this was the time for battle. Clicking his pokeball, throwing it right at her way "C'mon, Rattata! Show her what we're made of!" Red light brought out a small violet rodent with teeth looking bigger than its head and a curled tail. It squeaked in agitation and determination.

The Pokemon to her side moved forward, a look of fierce courage burning in its eyes and it definitely looked more willing to fight than its trainer. She took position, a lump swallowed down her throat as she pointed a finger out "Alright, Quilly, this should be a piece of cake! .. Right?-" The end of her sentence had been directed towards herself rather than her Pokemon "-Use ember!"

_Quilly. _What a stupid name. He couldn't resist the urge to give her the 'really?' look as soon as she had shouted at her Pokemon's name. But whatever- He had more important things to worry about- Unfortunately for him, his Rattata had been much to slow, receiving full damage and.. Fainting. _That's it? _"Dammit!" He hissed.

No matter. He still had his Zubat left, which had always been the stronger out of the two. Throwing the ball into the air, a screech was made to announce its appearance as quick wings beat against the air, keeping him elevated. Beginner's luck. Now he was _really _going to get her. "Zubat! Supersonic!"

And the attack had hit exactly where he had wanted it to. A dazed look covered the Pokemon's eyes and it began to walk around, unaware of its own surroundings and continuously bumping into walls or falling over the slippery floor. _That's _how it was done around here. A victorious smirk curved at his lips as a panic expression settled onto the girl's face "Quilly..? Come on, you can do it! Use quick attack!" And with the Pokemon still confused, it hit itself against the wall, earning a laugh from him as he watched "You're just as confused as it is, aren't ya?"

Taking out her pokeball, she called it back "You've done good but you're in no condition to fight-" She said, voice aimed directly at the ball and her voice was.. Soft. Gentle. Like a blanket on a cold day. Wait- No, he couldn't think of that, he had to concentrate! And obviously, his attention had been wavering for he hadn't noticed the little sheep looking Pokemon appear in front of him, static charging from her cotton white fleece. "Mareep! Tackle!" The Pokemon hadn't looked strong enough to take down his Pokemon so he wasn't worried too much as contact was made.

Until the blue bat fell to the ground, twitching and seemingly immobile "_What?" _He blurted out, shock drenching his words as a glance was thrown at her "No! Zubat! _Supersonic!" _Yet the Pokemon remained unmoving on the ground aside from its few twitches. _Paralysed. Of course it had to be paralysed. _"Great job, Mareep! Now, finish it off with a tackle!" Her voice was promptly filled with more confidence than when they had begun and one last lunge with its whole body, and his Zubat was down.

He had lost to a little girl. And not only was she a little girl- But she was a little girl with poor fashion choice _and _weak Pokemon. Oh no, he couldn't say that now, could he? Especially since she had just _beat him to the ground. _This was just the_best way _to start off his career as a Team Rocket grunt.

The grunt remained there,bewildered at the mere prospect that he had just lost. And after all that smack talk? Arceus, if he had known the move Dig, he wouldn't hesitate to dig his way out of here and away from her. And with his humiliation, came a great smile on her lips, stretching from ear to ear and she couldn't help the little victory dance that followed along. _"_Oh, real mature.." He grumbled.

"So! How's 'Team Rocket's rep looking now?" She chirped, her voice full of pride and happiness as she walked away after he had handed her her cash (although he hadn't hesitated in the slightest to pay her less than she actually deserved). Footsteps faded into the distance and the grunt could only suspect that she was now making her way to their boss- Hopefully he would teach her a lesson in messing with Team Rocket!

Yet, as he turned around to watch her form fade into the distance, he couldn't help the sense of interest growing in him. Okay, she was pretty strong for someone of her age- Strong enough to beat through three grunts, definitely- But was she strong enough to beat out their leader? A part of him wanted to follow along in the shadows to maybe watch the battle issue- Although there was no point, seeing as she would definitely _loose, _but that didn't mean he wanted to miss out seeing how strong her _Pokemon _were. Something told the purple haired man, as he reached out to scratch his head in confusion, that that wouldn't be the last time he would see her. But, unfortunately for her, this would be the last time he would loose to her.

**Author's Note; ****_And there's your first chapter to my story! Please leave reviews and other comments to help motivate me into writing a second chapter. If this becomes a regular thing, chapters will be posted almost every week, with at least one posted every Saturday. I hope you enjoyed it! _**


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer **

I do not, and will not ever, own Pokemon

**Title**

Grunt in a Million

**Special thanks to **

My friends Iffah, Eve and Olivia.  
Who have been encouraging me to continue writing and always supporting!  
As well as **Venusaurite** and **Green Rune** for the lovely reviews!

**Chapter Two;**

_Lyra._ So that was her name. It dripped off his tongue so easily- A pretty cute name. Fit the face, for sure. But Lyra. How could he have lost to a little girl with a name like _Lyra_? Honestly, he was just glad that he hadn't been the only person to have lost to a girl with zero sense of fashion. His partners at that time, Lissa and whatever that feminine man's name had been, were just as bothered but not as devastated by the loss. No, in fact, it seemed to fuel their desire to win the next time they would be faced against her.

"I can't _believe_ I lost to her!" He would hear her whine occasionally (Or at least she would assume it was her. All the girls here tended to have the same sort of "look" which made it hard to tell who was who) "But I was totally going easy on her- The next time we meet, my Ekans is going to tear her puny Pokemon to emshreds." Arceu_s_, he wished that he could have thought the same but that Quilava of hers- He had finally taken the time to look up whatever "Quilly" had been- was tough. Now he was expected to train his team of two Pokemon harder if he wanted to win their next battle.

"Beginner's luck-" The other grunt would say- His name was soon revealed to be.. Leslie. Which in all honesty wasn't as surprising as he would have thought it to be- Arrogance dripping from each syllable as he discussed it with his other team members "I almost had her- Well, sort of.. No, I really did! Her Quilava was _so_ close to fainting I could feel it in my bo- What? No, no, my Zubat took care of that! See? This is exactly why I'm one of the stronger trainers her- Battle? Oh no, no, no, no thanks! I'm uh- Tired!" He spoke way too quickly, switching from topic to topic it was a miracle that anybody would actually take the time to listen to him. Because he certainly didn't.

Unlike his team-mates, he tended to avoid all sort of conversation about the girl who had beaten not only three grunts but their boss as well. It was embarrassing to say the least and even thinking about it was humiliating. Instead, he thought about ways he could get his Pokemon stronger and, this time, _ready_ for the rematch he could already feel coming his way. She'd been the hot subject the following week and he was more than surprised to hear that the grunts weren't the only ones talking about her.

"I heard Proton had a full-blown rant when he lost." Gossip had spread quicker than a Charizard's flamethrower around the headquarters and everywhere he went, someone would be talking about the Executive's defeat. It ranged from male grunts who found it rather funny that he had lost to a rookie trainer to female grunts who would stick their noses in conversations, pushing to defend the blue-haired man with a fiery passion that anyone would have thought that they were eternally bound to him "_It won't happen again!_" They would argue back, hoping to Arceus that their glorious Proton wouldn't dare loose the next time. Honestly, it was rather amusing to watch.

The only time that he had been apart of any conversation relating to the incident, was when he and a few grunts had been down in the break room, playing poker and just all-in-all gambling. Now, they weren't usually allowed to do this. The Executives had specifically said that slacking off would lead to punishment and the only time they had to rest was lunch. But when there was nothing to do and other's were doing missions instead of them, they'd manage to sneak away, unnoticed for awhile until time ticked by and they would have to pack up and leave.

The purple haired man decided not to play. It wasn't like he couldn't- He understood the basic mechanics of the game- It was just that the first few times he had decided to take the chance and bet his money, he lost it all. in a heartbeat. Gambling could become a serious addiction and he would rather keep his money than loose it all because of some dumb card-game (Where he was absolutely positive the other's were finding ways to cheat). Watching was a lot more entertaining, especially since the other uniformed-men surrounding the table always had something interesting to say: Whether it was a stupid story, starting an interesting conversation or starting a fight. The latter wasn't that uncommon.

"So- I heard you were at the Slowpoke Well when it all happened." Obviously that was directed to him, seeing as the eldest of the group was looking him straight in the eyes, cigarette hanging limply from his lips which curved into an amused smirk "_And _got beaten by some twelve year old."

He absolutely hated how small some of the other grunts- Especially the seniors- made him feel. Just because he was new and relatively young did not mean that he couldn't hold his own in a battle! But obviously, they hadn't thought the same. His mouth twisted into a deep frown, eyebrows furrowed as a huff left his lips "It was _beginner's luck! _Besides! I wasn't the only one to have lost to her- Need I remind you all that everyone there had lost too?" Alright, he did tend to get rather defensive about his loss, so what? He just hid it better than most people, only letting it surface when needed.

A deep chuckle left the older man's lips followed by the snickers of everyone around him. Removing the cigarette from his lips, he tapped the ash onto a little tray before throwing two chips, coloured to look like Ultra Balls, onto the playing field "_Relax, _kid, everyone has their days. Some people loose their socks or are late to work. Other's lost against little girls. No shame in that." Again, his words were followed by a collective sound of amusement from the circle- Aside from him, who sat there, not knowing what to say or what to do other than feeling helpless to the situation.

And of course, the taunting continued: "If I were there, I would've made sure she wouldn't have left the cave with her Pokemon. I heard that she had a Quilava with her. Do you have any idea what an addition that would make to my stupid team of Zubat? It would make a _big _difference. And if it didn't listen to me? Well- High prices were always offered to people with pretty rare Pokemon. Either that- Or scare the living daylights out of her with a hard beat down. Teach that little princess that you shouldn't be meddling with Team Rocket's plans!"

Agreements were muttered as chips were thrown and cards were flipped. Overtime someone would call out, they'd give their own opinion on the situation, as if it was sharing time.

"I wouldn't only take her Pokemon! I'd take everything! A trainer like that's gotta have some useful crap in her sack, right?" "No doubt. Potions and berries and poke balls, would save me a fortune and would make it less likely for me to get caught stealing." "I heard she was pretty cute- Maybe she would've fallen for my _impeccable charm_\- Seduction is a tricky game, boys!" "You've got a face not even a mother would love."

Booms of laughter enveloped the room from everyone besides him. Eyebrows remained furrowed and the frown that had twitched onto his lips had never left his features. He was the youngest one in the group, being only seventeen whilst the other's had been more than twenty. Least to say that he found it a little bizarre that they would about a fourteen or thirteen year old like that. And that's all it was. He thought nothing more about it and about her because she wasn't _important. _But the words had left his lips before he could stop them:

"I don't think any of you guys should be underestimating her-" He started, already regretting it when their gazes were turned over to him. He swallowed hard "I mean- She did beat Proton! That's gotta mean something, right? And her Pokemon were pretty strong.. Stronger than all these damn Rattata." He remembered how his violet rodent had gone down with just one hit. If that didn't mean something, the grunt would've expected that his Pokemon was just incredibly weak. Which obviously was not the case "And Quil- Her _Quilava-" _Arceus all mighty he had almost addressed it by its _ridiculous. _"-Seemed pretty attached to her! I doubt that it would go without a fight.."

He had expected the looks of irritation and the questioning eyebrow raises that said nothing other than 'seriously?'. What he hadn't been expecting, was the large smirk to form on the cigarette holding man. Did he say something.. Funny? He shrunk in his seat as the man leaned over, pointing a beefy finger over at him "What's got you so defensive about this rookie? Don't tell me- You've got a _crush on her?_" This felt like elementary school again, what with the collective 'oohs' around the room. And just like elementary school, a huge blush had grown over his cheeks as he stood up rather quickly, knocking his knees into the table and resisting the hiss of pain.

"_No! _She's just some loser trainer! I'm just saying you shouldn't underestimate her too much! Unless you want to be on the receiving end of the stupid stick!" His tone defensive as he stared at him, wide-eyed like a Stantler caught in the headlights. Like he would have a crush on her! She was just some random _kid. "I_ don't even know her name!" That was an obvious lie. The girl who had foiled one of Team Rocket's plans did not go unnamed around the grunts. But he had to back himself up before being pushed against the wall.

Puffing the smoke out of his lips, which was immediately blown into his face, the senior grunt merely snorted out in a mocking tone "Whatever you say, _lover boy." _Did they _always _have to laugh at everything he said? The young man had come here to have a good time, watching his "friends" gamble and now he was being teased like a kid in the playground. And just like a kid in the playground, he walked out of the room as quickly as he could, not moving to look over his shoulder.

His interest in her was _anything _but romantic- How could they even insinuated that? Disgusting. Sure, she peaked at his curiosities. But only because he had never seen a trainer manage to knock out that many people so quickly. Well, at least not right in front of him (Did watching it on TV count as well?). It was a spectacle. And not only had she done that, she had bowled through _Team Rocket Grunts_. That certainly took guts. His thoughts couldn't help but go back to how nervous she had sounded at first- And then the little victory dance which replayed itself in his mind's eye over and over again.

"What a baby.." He grumbled, purple hues rolling in their sockets as he made his way down the hallway, unsure of where he wanted to go as of that point (He had been hoping to spend the majority of his time downstairs in the break room but obviously that wasn't going to happen). Her attacks weren't even that advanced. Mediocre at the most and obviously, she had zero strategy in the way she battled. _Rookie. _But wasn't he a rookie too, having only started battling around a year ago and gaining zero experience?

Whatever. Worrying about his hypocrisy wasn't going to get him anywhere and the grunt wasn't in the mood to train his Pokemon either. Maybe later on after a nap. But if he was going to beat her one day, he would _have _to have a strong team of Pokemon, at least something more than a Zubat and a Rattata. Maybe he could ask to join a mission later on today as well. Rounding a corner with his goal set in mind, the _childish _teases he had received had only left his mind for a brief moment before returning once more "I do _not _like some silly little girl." He huffed to himself once more, before disappearing into another room.

**Reviews are always welcome and appreciated! **


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